Chapter 3742: Manaron (Part 1) "This is not good. Not good at all." Leria sighed. "Finally, someone normal who understands me!" Selia was so moved that she was about to cry. "We lost our advantage, Aran." Leria added, making Selia’s jaw drop. "That’s what worries you? Having competition aside from Aran?" "It was fun while it lasted, but this was bound to happen." Aran shrugged, ignoring the huntress’ complaints. "Besides, we have already learned the basics of Spirit Magic. We still have an advantage." "True." Leria nodded. "Also, Uncle Lith is our teacher, whereas Uncle Protector is often away and Auntie Selia sucks at magic." "Hey, I resent that!" Selia said while Solkar and Fenrir growled in outrage. Lilia and Leran would have given their rivals a piece of their minds if they weren’t too busy puking their guts out. "Aran, Leria, apologize immediately." Lith said. "Even though what you said is true, it’s not a nice thing to say to your aunt." "That’s uncalled for, Lith." Selia grunted. "Sorry, Auntie." Aran and Leria hugged her in apology. "It’s very much called for." Lith snorted. "After all the rip-off deals you cut me as a child, this is the least I can do to repay your ’kindness’." Xagra and his siblings looked at Lilia and Leran with envy, their eyes moving from the Skolls to Syrah nonstop. "It’s okay, children." She smiled, ruffling the fur on their heads. "One day you’ll become capable of Awakening as well." It was a white lie that Syrah could only hope Quylla’s research would turn into truth. "Sorry, Dad." Lilia said after she was done barfing, the golden pillar disappeared, and Ryman vaporized the pools of impurities to remove their disgusting stench. "You are right, and the bards are a bunch of liars. I didn’t master Life Eater on my first try." "Same." Leran panted. "It’s okay, kids. I’m proud of you." Protector cradled them in his massive arms and fed them ice cream. The impurities tasted as bad as they smelled, and the kids could use something sweet to wash them down. "Well, I’m not." Selia snorted. "Maybe." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖 She quickly added after noticing the dejected look on her children’s faces. "First, I need an explanation. Was this your plan all along? Using the golden lightning to overload your cores and force the Awakening?" "No." Protector replied. "I hadn’t thought of the possibility. The children have no breathing technique, and I believed one couldn’t Awaken without it." "A fair point." Selia nodded. "Children?" "No plan, Mom. We improvised." Lilia whimpered. "Don’t be harsh on them." Lith said. "They were at the peak of the bright yellow, on top of a powerful mana geyser, and filled with golden lightning while surrounded by powerful Awakened. I’d be more surprised if it hadn’t happened." "Another fair point." Selia inhaled sharply, terrified at the idea of chasing after two Awakened living cyclones. "What about the breathing technique, children? How did you come up with one so quickly?" "Do you promise not to get angry, Mom?" The fear in Leran eyes as he offered her his pinky finger made Selia feel like the scum of Mogar. "I promise." She pinkie promised and then embraced Leran and Lilia both. "I’m proud of my little wolf warriors." "We spied on you when you trained with Auntie Kami." Lilia said. "I beg your pardon?" Selia had a hard time keeping her smile. "You use Accumulation a lot." Leran explained. "Even at home, when you think no one is watching. We learned your respiration rhythm weeks ago." "Yeah, but it never worked." Lilia nodded. "Then, today Dad used a similar rhythm to give us and take away the golden lightning. We followed that rhythm, moved the lightning to our mana cores, used it to amplify our mana flow, and ta-da! We Awakened!" "Oops!" Protector shrugged. "My bad. I did it to keep the energy flow steady. I didn’t expect the children would match it with their breathing." Selia slapped her own forehead, suppressing the unyielding desire to scream, cry, and curse at the same time. "It’s okay, dear." She said with a resigned sigh. "We’re a couple of idiots. We deserve this." "Don’t say that, Mom." Leran hugged her. "You are not idiots. I’m sorry if we cheated a bit." "Ba!" Elysia snorted, looking down on the young Skolls from the height of her father’s arms. "Geyun." "Geyun." Valeron nodded and crossed his arms on his chest. "I know what ’ba’ means, but what was ge-stuff?" Selia’s eyes narrowed. "It’s Dragontongue." Lith cleared his throat in embarrassment. "I got that much when they shapeshifted their throats." Selia grunted. "What does it mean?" "Something along the lines of ’get good, scrubs’." "Not everyone has Divine Beast’s blood in their veins and can Awaken in the womb, you little arrogant Hatchlings." Selia rebuked them. "And it’s not my children’s fault if their father has to work so much. "Aran and Leria wouldn’t have done it without Lith’s private lessons, so unless you want to spend less time with your father, Lilia and Leran have every right to cut a few corners." "So-y." Elysia nodded her head. "Sorry." Valeron said. "Well put, Mom!" Lilia said with pride. "Yeah." Leran nodded. "Like Uncle Lith always says, the end justifies the means if in the end you have the last laugh." "What?" Selia’s eyes widened, and so did Kamila’s when she noticed the babies nodding at Leran’s words. "Lith Tiamat Verhen, what are you teaching the children?" They turned to glare at him, but he was already gone, leaving behind a note that read: "Sorry, I really have to take this call." *** To make amends with Selia, Lith invited her whole family to join the Verhens for dinner at Haug’s Travelling Tavern. "Fine, but you’ll pay for this, Lith." Selia replied. "Literally. I’m going all out, and so are my children. Eat to your heart’s content, my little locusts!" "I’m sorry, Lith." Protector said. "Don’t worry." Lith dismissed the issue with a wave of the hand. "Consider this my congratulatory gift for the Awakening of my godchildren. After all, I’m still their godfather." "And I thank you for that, but that’s not what I meant." Protector clasped Lith’s wrist in a warrior’s handshake. "I said that I’m sorry because I worked up a huge appetite after all that training. I’m going all out as well." "You son of a hungry dog!" Lith clenched his right leg, feeling the pain in his wallet. "And just to stay in theme, we’ll bring back plenty of doggie bags." Selia declared, and the children gave her a howling ovation. Lith sighed, but said nothing. He was too happy to have mended fences with Valeron the Second, and that his godchildren had managed to self-Awaken to mind spending a few extra coins. Lith spared no expenses and reserved many tables, enough to host his entire family. "I’m really excited, baby." Elina said. "I’ve never been to the Gorgon Empire. I can’t believe my first visit is to one of its legendary floating fortresses and to an establishment exclusive to Awakened." "It’s nothing much, Mom." Lith replied. "Just for the love of me, don’t call me baby, sweetie, or any other embarrassing endearing term that might come to your mind. I have enough rumors about me going around, I don’t need more."